Long-Game Multiplier
The Long-Game Multiplier is one of two baseline cascade rules — applied to every hand of every run, regardless of charms held. It exists to close the gap between “basic strategy is the dominant play” and “decision quality should pay cascade dividends.”
The rule
Section titled “The rule”
archetype_mult × (1 + 0.3 × min(hit_count, 3))
Archetype mult is the additive mult a hand archetype contributes at cascade step 3 (HandArchetypeScore). The Long-Game scales it by the factor below, clamped at 3 hits.
| Hits taken | Factor | Example archetype mult |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1.0× | 4.0 → 4.0 |
| 1 | 1.3× | 4.0 → 5.2 |
| 2 | 1.6× | 4.0 → 6.4 |
| 3 | 1.9× | 4.0 → 7.6 |
| 4+ | 1.9× | clamped |
Why this is structural, not optional
Section titled “Why this is structural, not optional”Heavy Mark Charms (Pair Hunter, Long Walk Home, etc.) handle the conditional layer — when held, they make specific deviations cascade-correct. The Long-Game handles the structural layer — every charm-less hand still has a small reward for hit-and-hold, so a player on Night 1 with three Common arcana feels deviation pressure as the default.
The two compose multiplicatively. Holding Pair Hunter and hitting hard 15 chasing a pair: archetype mult 2 × 1.6 (long-game) × 3 (Pair Hunter) = 9.6 mult on a 20-chip pair-win = 192 score. Without Pair Hunter, just the structural rule: 2 × 1.6 = 3.2 mult = 64 score. The charm amplifies a fork the player already feels.
In-fiction name
Section titled “In-fiction name”Engineering: Long-Game Multiplier. In-fiction: The Long Walk. Both refer to the same rule. The mythic Heavy Mark with overlapping intent is renamed The Long Walk Home in the catalog.
Composition table
Section titled “Composition table”| Layer | Effect | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Structural — pressure | Long-Game scales archetype mult | Always on |
| Structural — softener | Death’s Hesitation halves face-bust score | Always on |
| Conditional — amplifier | Heavy Mark Charms (×3 / ×4) when held | Phase 8 catalog |
Where this lives
Section titled “Where this lives”lib/sim/cascade_resolver.dart:_resolveCleared()— the math.lib/sim/scoring_event.dart:LongGameApplied— the trace event.test/sim/long_game_multiplier_test.dart— 10 unit tests.test/sim/long_game_hesitation_impact_test.dart— Monte Carlo validation. Captured ~50% lift per hit at trial-baseline for Phase 5 recalibration purposes.
On the felt
Section titled “On the felt”The cascade animator renders Long-Game as long game · 1 hit ×1.30 archetype mult. The number sits between HandArchetypeScore and the
arcanum cascade. Players can see it. Pale Jack’s voice, when commenting
on a deviation cascade, sometimes lands on:
“You took the third card. You shouldn’t have. The cup tipped your way.”